BTST is the Banner Testing and STaging environment or Test. Test functions as a testing and staging area for software updates/deployments before installation to Production. Our development teams use Test for integration testing by functional users. BTST is used for evaluating changes before being applied to Production. It allows for the testing of both software changes and data changes. BTST serves as the final testing and staging area for upgrades and deployments. This is a best-practice of the Software Development Lifecycle, plus it is a requirement from the Office of the State Auditor. The Banner core software is the environment BTST operates in, along with testing instances of most third-party software packages. The combination of software and hardware makes this a systems integration environment and testing and staging environment. The lower allotted memory is the main difference between BTST and Production hardware. The reason for that is the number of users in Production far exceeds those using Test. BTST has helped avoid a vast array of issues going to Production from software bugs, errors in data entry to integration issues with third-party software updates. The Banner Testing and Staging or BTST environment is indispensable in guaranteeing the stability and availability of the Production Banner.